202 ADVENTURE IN NEW ZEALAND. Chap. VII. 
and soon accustomed themselves to observe and imi- 
tate almost every new habit, with a striking desire of 
emulating the superiority of their White brothers. 
Even this first step in colonizing their country must, 
however, have been a startling contradiction to all 
their previous ideas. 
Although we had often explained to them that 
many hundred White men would come and cover the 
country, their minds had evidently not been of suffi- 
cient capacity to realize the idea of such numbers. The 
Maori language has no word for a number above 
mano, a " thousand ;" and even this is generally used 
indefinitively to describe any large amount. 
Accordingly, soon after the emigrants from the two 
first ships had landed to look about them, ff^arepori 
came to Colonel Wakefield's hut one morning, and 
showed him the war-canoes hauled down to the wa- 
ter's edge ready for launching, in front of Pitone. 
Upon being asked his meaning, he said he was come 
to bid farewell. " We are going," said he, " to our 
" old habitation at Taranaki. I know that we sold 
" you the land, and that no more White people have 
" come to take it than you told me. But I thought 
'* you were telling lies, and that you had not so many 
" followers. I thought you would have nine or ten, 
" or perhaps as many as there are at Te-awa-iti. I 
** thought that I could get one placed at each pa, as a 
" White man to barter with the people and keep -us 
" well supplied with arms and clothing ; and that I 
" should be able to keep these White men under my 
" hand and regulate their trade myself. But I see 
" that each ship holds two hundred, and I believe, 
*' now, that you have more coming. They are all 
" well armed ; and they are strong of heart, for they 
** have begun to build their houses without talking. 
